Shannon Ashley “Shay” Mitchell is a Canadian actress and model. She is best known for her role as Emily Fields in the ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars. Shay Mitchell, born Shannon Mitchell to a Filipino mother and Irish/Scottish father, is a native of Toronto, Canada. Even as a young child, she was interested in the performing arts, declaring to her parents that she would pursue such a career. Shay began dance lessons at the age of five, and she and several of her classmates toured the city to compete with a variety of other dance schools.